The Brand Burners of Cimarron — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Brand-Burners of Cimarron. —-—— Hi’m > “So Hi said, Zebulon Peggs. honto yer scheme !” “"W’at scheme, dear Mommy?” “Don’t ‘dear Mommy’ me! Keep yer ‘dear’ fer them as ’as bin—Melindy han’ Georg’ana. Yes, han’, fer Ruby !” ce Ha 7? “ Hoh, ye willain! Ye thought Hi was ha blind worm. So Hi was—so Hi was! But the worm ’as flopped. Hi know hall !” “Hah !” “ Hall, Hi repeat, Zebulon Peggs ! Yer willainy ’as found yer hout. Hill de- mnounce you !” “Good heavens, Mommy—’” “Don’t ‘Mommy’ me, ye snoop! Yer ‘art his bad, Peggs. Hi’ve found yer p’ison, han’ Hi knows yer scheme.” “Bagonets an’ bullets!” roared the veteran, suddenly struggling to a sitting posture, despite the threatening pistol. “ Be ye crazy, woman?” “ Hi ben’t—no thanks ter you, ye Will- ain !” “'W’at ye mean, woman?” “Ye meant ter p’ison me, ye did !” *“Dang—Vum! I didn’t !” “Ye did !” “Fer what ? Explain, will ye?” Mommy flourished a small vial filled With white crystals. “P’ison !” she informed, bitterly. “Fer rats !” - “Fer Mommy Peggs, the lawful wife hof yer bosom, she whom ye meant ter destroy, monster!” wildly. “Hi know hall ! Hoh, ye hold Blue Beard—ye bloody pirit !” “But why, Mommy? Stand.” “Ter be free. Ter marry fer money, @ willain !’ ; “Soho! Thet’s yer idear, is et? Wal, wal! An’ who’d I marry, Mommy?” “Ruby !” “Ruby?” en, Hoh, Peggs, Hi’m no hidiot, Hi warn you! You’ve habducted the pore critter, ter ’old till Hi’m dead. You ve heven ’id haway yer hown flesh han blood—’”’ . A tremendous roar from the veteran checked the irate woman. Sinking back on the floor, Peggs forgot his troubles in a paroxysm of laughter. Mommy regarded him wrathfully. “Han ’ardened ’art !” she muttered. A moment later, Peggs again sat up. He rubbed his eye vigorously, and looked at his wife. “Mommy, ye bin makin’ a fool o’ yer- “self,” he informed. “Zebulon Peggs !” “'Thet’s my name—yas! Now, you keep still ! Ye’ve bin makin’ mistakes. Vum !—yes. Thet rat poison’s bin in ther house ’most a year, an’ ye bought et _ yerself.” | Mommy Peggs’s round face suddenly | reddened, and she hung her head. Ke “ As fer the gals,” pursued the veteran, | his voice growing dogged, “I shorely took - ‘Ruby away, an’ she’s not comin’ back. | “Not comin’ back?” “No. I’m goin’ ter trust ye with a |’ secret, Mommy, jest ter prove yer |. s’picious aire all wrong. Ef Major Dun- |} an sh’u’d find Ruby hyar, I’d shore go p> ter ther pen!” { Mrs. Peggs looked at her husband in I don’t under- a - ‘wolve thet fact in yer mind, madam— is “Come, now! None o’ thet, but listen ; But when | Nite gin. 2 I tells ye, an’ I tells ‘l m ~ open-mouthed astonishment. | “ther pen’— ‘Pegs in ther pen !’. An’ _ thet’s whar I’ll go, ef ye open lip !” ter me. I’m a conwict aS was never con- jor Duncan gits Ruby, ther jig’s up !” _ “W’ot thing, Poppy?” _ The veteran leered cunningly. puede Se t say. On’y this: Ef ye those. Bagon . “T mean jest thet,” he continued. “ Re- Se Hoh, ’eavens !” / _ wicted, ye understand. I did ther thing, @n’ was never diskivered. $a done ag’in, jest es ’twas, I’d igonets an’ bullets” ’ me * — 3 Y a, , “ mee » # a * i i . Ad ‘| yn - 4 SS ae ‘ered tt I—yas.”, a“, .. . . “ bs, i s " ~ > 1 A a ¢ “ cis aa eds “A wy ere We f» >t ve AL) eae ~" thy? ———EEE—— -——?|-* rr ae + 4d 7 SP a * and wrung her hands. Her face was white again, and her pale bine eyes held a terri- | fied light. . “Peers! Peggs! Ye didn’t—kill ’er?” she gasped. “Naw !” indignantly. sound.” “Thank ’eavens ! Han’ Polly?” The veteran’s face clouded. “TI don’t know,” he averred, gloomily. *T wish Luke would come.” Then silence fell between the two. Peggs scrambled up, and began pacing restlessly to and fro, while Mommy watched him distrustfully. Presently, hasty steps sounded with- out, followed by a knock at the door. Peggs caught up the pistol and thrust it into his pocket, then admitted Light- foot. An explanation of Polly’s errand was quickly made, Mommy Peggs dwelling only upon the fact that the girl had worn Ruby’s hat and wraps. “She is in the hands of Belmont and the gambler,” Luke decided. ‘‘ They have mistaken her for Ruby Ranger. Patience —Tl’l]l find her.” Soon, he departed. Peges and:-his wife exchanged a few words, then again lapsed into moody sil- ence. Neither felt inclined to sleep, and both remained alert and watchful. Just before dawn, stealthy steps ap- proached the house. Then the door was struck a violent blow; steps were heard again, this time retreating, and all be- came quiet. “W’ot was hit?” gasped Mommy. Peggs shook his head, laid a finger across his lips, and quickly extinguished the light. The next ‘hour passed in utter silence. Then day came, and the veteran opened the door and looked out. A knife, transfixing a sheet of paper, had been thrust deep into the soft wood. Pulling out the blade, the cobbler seized the paper, and read: * Zebulon Peggs:—You are warned to leave Tiptop at once If you fail to go, or if you make known this message, you will forfeit your life. Fair warning! “ CAPTAIN BRAND.” The veteran’s face paled, but his eye glittered wickedly. Locking the door, he drew the curtains over the windows. Throughout the day no sign of life was visible about the house. Directly after nightfall, Peggs slipped out and hurried steathily to the office of Dr. Antitox, where the remained a few minutes. On his return, he and Mommy quitted the house by a rear door, and a moment later a two-wheeled vehicle drawn by a white mule might have been seen hurrying out of town. The cart contained Peggs and his wife. “‘She’s safe an’ , CHAPTER XXI. THE MAJOR ENMBESHED. Toward the close of a certain bright November day, a horseman, coming from the north, entered the little town of P— on the banks of the Cimarron. ‘ He was an elderly man, erect anu ~% commanding mien. Hair and mustacne, both cropped close, and of silvery white- ness, were in marked contrast to his swarthy, determined face and flashing black eyes. His garb was black, with slouched hat and cavalry boots. A re- peating rifle hung at his back, and the gold-mounted butts of a brace of heavy revolvers peeped from the holsters at- tached to his belt. In front of a hotel, he drew rein, dis- mounted, and tethered his horse. The men idly lounging along the corduroy sidewalk watched him with curious eyes, and quickly grouped at the hotel en- trance. “A marshal,” whispered one, “No. A deputy, mebbe.” “We'll soon know fer shore, fer thar comes Marshal Talbott.” | ope a , At that moment the unknown en ‘ed | —_— local officer, who quietly touched him on the shoulder, saying: ‘Pardon, stranger. I am Marshal Tale bott. Your name, please?” ‘Major Duncan, sir.” “In the service?” “No. Long retired.” “You ere armed, I see.” “ But within the law, Marshal Talbott. My journey is upward of sixty miles.” “You came from—” “ Arkansas City.” “That is sufficient, Major. I wish you luck,”’ and the officer’turned to depart. “ Hold, Marshal Talbott—a moment, please,” called Major Duncan, and he beckoned the officer aside. Curious eyes watched the two men, and curious ears vainly strove to hear their low-spoken words. When the interview ended Talbott withdrew, leading away the major’s sylendid black horse, while Dun- can turned to the landlord and ordered supper. Then the group hanging around the doorway slowly fell away, and the little ripple of excitement died out. Among the gaping spectators, the ruf- fian we have known as Noolan had been a prominent figure, and he was the last to retire. Crossing the street, he ap- proached two men lounging in front of a saloon, nodded, and curtly announced: ‘ Pards, ther old ’un’s our game !” Both roughs started, and stared hard at their leader. “Not ther detective?” “Not Goldspur?” “ Naw ! Bechixt us, he’s slipped t’rough, long ago. But we must nail ther old ’un, Come inside, an’ we’ll talk et over.” Meanwhile, in the hotel across the way, Major Duncan sat at supper. Just as the meal was ended, Marshal Talbott reap- peared, and handed him a leiter. Nodding his thanks, the traveler open- ed, read and re-read the missive, ther struck a match and carefully burned it. For some minutes, the two men sat ia silence. Then, the officer stirred un- easily, and asked: eee you proceed to Tiptop to-night, sir?” : “ That is my intention, Mr. Talbott.” “ The trail is very rough, and I would advise that you take an escort, or defer the trip till morning. The country south of the river is new, and there are many outlaws abroad; these times.” Major Duncan pondered a moment, then shook his head in a decided man- ner. “No. I must go on, Marshal,” he de- clared. “ My errand is such that I cannot think of delay. With your directions as to the road, I shall pull through all right, alone. Nevertheless, I thank you for your kindly suggestions.” The men chatted briefly and quitted the room together. Then Major Duncan ordered his horse, mounted, and rode on- ward. Y Marshal Talbott gazed after him un- | easily. - “I don’t like it !” he muttered. “ That’s a nasty bit of road, and there are nasty characters about. But he may pull through safely. I hope so.” : The sun had set when Major Duncan cleared the confines of the little ‘town. Drawing rein on the brow of a low hill, he anxiously scanned the trail winding across the sandy valley below him. A mile away lay the ford, plainly marked, while east and west wound the river, like a broad band of steel-gray riffpon. Beyond the river was a horseman, slow- ly ascending a long, sandy slope. the major watched, he gained the crest, —__ aoe eens from view in a strip of wood- _ Striking spurs to his horse, Duncan des- Oo U § ae crossed the rat fees) Vie Th > oe cended the hill, and waste: Just as he re pounding of hoofs on the trail behir Take hotel: office, closely followed by the | cowboys. — a ? a * aa 7" i. a - ; - - : 4 ( tog ’ 4 . i od a Wad 4 : , ‘5 © as ‘ 7 — ae ae a verity . y a> i... 4 at ¢.* at d » © ee &, ~ ‘ d : ak ad a ’ oe av 214, 2 y=) _— | . a" “sf ; eine “ ‘? : > Ph 5 “ * 4 «<*@ “ an | % , . * ee ae? | Pa é - » ' oo , < 7 ae _*. . e 7 ‘. tt ? i : ‘+ 7 \ aa (Nh Sas 7 alll , ee ey Z 7 : Re es i 17 4 J ‘J . SPE aan Bel t Po ; | .= . 7? e ._°% « t - ~T>' ' wy? eo . D . $ eg ‘4 - pa x al Rai og casa > ee - @ 7 ks.com